Sirius survives
by linnypinny
Summary: What would have happened if Sirius survived the battle at the ministry? How would he and Harry go on after that? Here's my take on this popular subject!
1. Chapter 1

**So I've heard that JK Rowling had written a draft for The Order of the Phoenix where Sirius didn't die but Arthur Weasly did. I still think that Sirius' death is one of the cruelest events in the books, since the man just appears in 3 of the 7 books, and in my humble opinion is one of the best and most likeable characters in the book. He and Harry had a fantastic thing going on, that never came to a satisfying conclusion.**

 **There are many fanfics already about what would have happened if Sirius raised Harry, or what have happened if the whole thing at the Department of Mystery has never occurred. I've read some but none were really what I was looking for, so I decided to write my own take on the subject, where both Sirius and Arthur survive.**

 **Note: this is my first ever fanfic of any kind and English is NOT my native language. Please bear with me**

 **The overall setting is this: Harry & co went to the ministry to save Sirius, as is in the book, and did not find him there. The fighting occurred as was in the book with the SOLE difference that Bellatrix' curse missed and Sirius was nowhere near the veil. She did however cast the Avada Kadavra spell on Sirius, but missed. Sirius has then been K.O'd by another spell, and because Bella did use that curse on Sirius, Harry chases her to the Atrium for almost killing him. Voldemort appears, possesses Harry, Dumbledore comes to fight Voldy… we know the story. Now the whole ministry appears and sees Voldemort grab Bellatrix and apperate. **

"He was just here! He grabbed a woman and apperated! I saw him!" Fudge yelled. "I can't… I can't believe it! Dumbledore, what is this all about?"

"Voldemort has returned, Fudge. As I have told you for over a year already. It is time you open your eyes to the truth. And now you have seen it for yourself." Dumbledore explained calmly.

From the far end of the hall there were footsteps hastily approaching. Hermione, Ron, Ginny who was supported by Luna and Neville, and Sirius.

A crowd had started forming around Dumbledore and Harry, but Sirius pushed them aside and ran towards his godson.

"Harry! What happened? Are you alright?" he cried. Harry, pale and shaking, nodded faintly. "I'm alive…" he muttered.

"Thank God you are! Voldemort… he was here... I saw him! Oh sweet boy, you are a walking miracle to still be alive!" Sirius pressed Harry to his chest, and Harry silently let him, although a little part of his still barely functioning conscious felt slightly awkward. _Half the ministry is watching…_

"Merlin's beard! That is Sirius Black!" Fudge suddenly exclaimed. "Aurors, cease him!"

"That won't be necessary." Dumbledore said. "Sirius' innocence is just as true as the fact that Voldemort had returned. Again, I tried to tell you. You didn't listen. And if you want proof of the fact that it was never Sirius' intention to harm, let alone kill Harry, I suggest you take a look at both of them. That doesn't seem like someone who would kill his best friend's son to you, does it?"

Sirius was still holding Harry in a firm grip, and his pale face looked at Fudge with a taunting look in his eyes. "I would die before I would do anything to Harry…" A tear escaped from his eye.

"Well… now… you seem to be… ehm... right." Fudge awkwardly stuttered. "Very sentimental all this. Well, I think the matter of Black has been solved…." He took a hesitating step towards Sirius, but changed his mind and made a nervous hand gesture. "Ehm… sorry. You're free." He decided.

The words of Fudge didn't really enter Sirius' conscious yet. He was still too relieved to still see Harry alive, and his freedom seemed like a nice thing on the side right now.

 **So the whole lot returns to the castle. Instead of smashing Dumbledore's office to smithereens, Harry silently and calmly hears the truth from Dumbledore, about that he has to stay with his aunt and uncle this summer, because of the blood protection and all that.** **Everything is told as in the book. Fast forward to the last day at Hogwarts.**

Harry had not yet told Sirius about the fact that he had to return to Privet Drive again this summer. They both actually stayed pretty silent on the subject. Until the last day at school came, at Harry felt he had to talk to Sirius about it.

Sirius had stayed in the Gryffindor tower, and remained awfully quiet since they had returned from the ministry. Harry found him in the early evening, sitting in a chair by the fire, where he was staring in to the flames with his mind probably somewhere else. Harry sat down in the chair next to him.

"Well… summer vacation starts tomorrow.." Harry started. Sirius did not turn his gaze from the fire, only sighed and said: "Yep, so it seems."

There was that familiar bitterness again that Harry heard so many times when Sirius noticed that Harry had to leave him. He never felt more sorry for him. He opened his mouth to say something, but Sirius cut him off.

"I know you have to go back to the Dursleys. Dumbledore told me." He finally turned away from the fire, and looked at Harry.

"Honestly, if that is what is best for you, so be it. I will not put you at risk by immediately claiming you for myself. I'm sure we'll meet again soon enough anyway."

"So, where will you go? Back to Grimmauld Place?" Harry asked.

"There? Oh hell no!" Sirius grimaced. "I'm a free man now! I'm not more at risk than anyone else, even when it comes to Voldemort. Besides, I don't think it's safe there anymore. Too many people know about the place. Snivelous, for one…"

Harry grinned. "Really, why do you keep calling him 'Snivelous'? You're both grown men now!"

"Can't help it, he remains a stinking bastard. The name kind of stuck, and truth to be told, I still kind of enjoy that stupid face of him whenever he hears that name…" For a moment a younger, teenage Sirius shined trough his aged face, as he smiled naughtily.

"But I will see if I can get a place elsewhere. Dumbledore promised to help me with that. I also think you won't have to stay with your aunt and uncle all summer. How about I come pick you up after… lets say… a week or two?"

"Sounds great!" Harry cheered. "But, what of your old house? Your mother's portrait and all... it's all still there…"

"And there it may rot..." Sirius said. "It's not my concern anymore. I never paid for the joint, and I don't care if it stays empty till the end of time. I have nothing to do there anymore. The dust can have it… along with that foul, dust-loving little freak, Kreacher."

"He would love that…" Harry snickered.

"Yeah he would. Just him and his 'mistress.." Sirius spat as he said that last word. He stood up from his chair, and threw his hands in the air. "Let it all rot! I'm free wherever I want to go!"

"Careful still, Voldemort is still to be dealt with." Harry said, knowing how reckless his godfather can be.

"Ah, don't worry." Sirius waved the problem away like it was some fly. He sighed relieved, stayed silent for a little moment and then said: 'Harry, do you remember, when we first met each other, that I looked at the castle, and said how I remembered that I walked through those doors for the first time. And it would be nice to do it again as a free man...?

"Like it was yesterday." Harry said, and smiled.

"Well I can tell you. It feels more than nice. It feels magnificent…."

 **Fast forward to two weeks later. Harry returned to the Dursleys, counting the days when Sirius will come to pick him up. Finally, that day was there.**

At 1 PM Harry was pacing around his bedroom. In one hours time Sirius would arrive. The Dursleys had been nervous during the whole two weeks, and that had only increased. Today they were almost unbearable, and Harry had flash backs to two summers ago, when the house was filled with the same nervous atmosphere for the arrival of mr. Weasley, to pick Harry up for the World Cup.

This time was a tad bit worse. The Dursleys were still convinced that Sirius was some kind of murdering lunatic, and Harry didn't bother to try to chance their minds. It had no use anyway. Again uncle Vernon was torn between not letting Harry have his way, and being rid of him a few weeks prior. Plus, he was terrified of Sirius, and what the neighbors would say.

"I hope he looks a bit decent!" he had yelled during breakfast that morning. "I still remember his face from TV, three years ago! Unwashed, stinking, filthy scum!

"Oh he looks loads better now." Harry ensured him.

"And tell him to dress properly! Not in some stinking 'robe'…" he said that last word as if it was vomit "… and also not a weird hodgepodge of normal clothes! I won't have somebody like that on my doorstep!"

"I don't think you will have to worry about it…" Even despite his experience with Muggles from his job at the ministry, Harry had the feeling that Sirius would have a bit more style and feeling for Muggle attire than mr Weasley. Still he was nervous. Even for Muggle standards, when it came to fashion, Sirius stayed kind of the rock-concert alternative type.

Still, uncle Vernon wasn't convinced, and paced around the house menacingly, hand rubbing and agitated mumbling. Aunt Petunia spend the entire day peering trough the blinds, and Dudley stayed locked in his room. Harry could swear he heard him whimpering with every unexpected sound. He decided to direct some of his own nerves to his cousin, and deliberately made all kinds of noises as of someone was entering the house. The faint whimpering sounds from next door that followed kept Harry quite amused during his time waiting.

At exactly one minute passed two, the doorbell rang. Not a mere second after that, the door swung open, which indicated that uncle Vernon was waiting in the hallway.

"Hello! I'm here to pick up Harry!" A cheerful voice from the doorway said, just as Harry ran down from the stairs.

"Sirius!" he cheered, and ran straight into his godfathers open arms.

"Harry! Good to see you again my boy!" Sirius smiled, and uncle Vernon was making puking noises.

From over Sirius' shoulder he saw a motorbike standing on the driveway. He could have sworn he saw that vehicle before, but couldn't recall when.

"All packed then, Harry? " Sirius said, as the two let go of each other.

"Yeah! My trunk's upstairs." Harry said.

"Let's get it then. Excuse me…" Sirius gently pushed uncle Vernon aside.

As they walked to Harry's room Sirius whispered: "Do I look alright? Your uncle didn't seem to appreciate my appearance that much I think…" and he gestured to his leather biker jacket and blue jeans.

"You look fine!" Harry said. "He looks that way to everyone he does not know. Don't worry, you can pass for any regular Muggle."

"Merlin's trousers, is this hutch your room?" he said, as they entered Harry's room, where his trunk was laying on the floor, and so covering up all his floor space.

"You should have seen where I slept before! THAT was a hutch!" Harry said, as he struggled to lift his heavy trunk."

"Oh let me…" Sirius said. " _Reducio"_ and waved his wand at the trunk, that shrunk to the size of a small briefcase.

"There, now it count's as carry-on." He winked, and returned back downstairs.

"Well, bye!" they both said to the uncle Vernon, who hasn't left the hallway. Dudley never left his room, and aunt Petunia was still sitting in the living room. Uncle Vernon muttered something under his breath, and then closed the door behind them.

"Recognize it, harry?" Sirius said, pointing at the bike. He proceeded to get a helmet from underneath the seat and give it to Harry.

"Faintly… Hagrid once told me he brought me here on a flying motorbike."

"The very same one!" Sirius said, while mounting the bike. "I didn't come flying though. I'll leave jokes like that to nighttime hours. It's not that a long drive away anyway."

"To where?" Harry curiously asked, as he sat down behind Sirius.

"Oh, you'll see." Sirius said, and started the engine.

A little over an hour later they drove trough a wide, rural landscape, with sloping hills all around them, and a small forest in the distance. A lonely house was sitting in between the green hills, several yards away from the forest edge. Made of stone, not too big but certainly not too small. It looked almost idyllic.

"Home sweet home." Sirius said, as the he parked the bike on a graveled spot next to the front door.

"Wow! How did you get by this place?" Harry asked.

"Dumbledore. He knew a family who had fled from Britain to mainland Europe from Voldemorts terror. All of them were so called 'blood traitors' you see… Pure wizard blood that married to a Muggle. They gave birth to one Squibb. Reason enough to be afraid these days… Anyway, they left the house behind, told Dumbledore to do whatever the hell he wanted with it. And so it's mine now!"

Harry couldn't be happier for Sirius. He got himself a house in the country, somewhere where he could see the sky. Just as Harry always wanted for him.

They went inside, right into a cozy living room, with a slightly tattered couch that was covered with several drapes, a wooden chair with a cushion, all around a small, pebbled fireplace. A small Gryffindor flag decorated the wall, and a narrow, winding staircase led to the second floor.

"It's not very fancy, but I hope you like it." Sirius said.

"It's perfect! Kind of reminds me of the Burrow… but less messy."

"Well, in that case you should feel right at home then."

Sirius let himself fall on the couch, and put his feet on the table.

"Butterbeer?" he asked, as he flicked his wand in the general direction of the kitchen, where two bottles flew over to the living room.

Harry caught his out of mid-air and sat down beside Sirius.

"Here's to the two of us!" Sirius said, and clanked his bottle against Harry's.

Harry could not help to have a huge smile on his face. Finally, he had a home. A real home. With real family – as real as it gets at least.

This summer was going to be the best ever.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for taking so long for the next chapter. I simply didn't have the time or inspiration. I had a handful of positive comments but it's nice to see that my story is appreciated! :) So here we have the next chapter. I don't know when I will post the rest, but this story will continue! I do have to re-read part 6 for that, as I forgot half of the summer of that year. So bear with me, but for now, enjoy chapter 2.**

Harry entered a way of living that he never experienced before. At all other places that he considered as 'home', he never had the space or time for a quiet moment. At Hogwarts, school stuff, fellow students and teachers hovered around him. At the Burrow, no matter how much he loved everyone, there was the full Weasley family hovering around. At Grimmauld Place it was no different. Here at the Den, as they came to call the house, it was only him and his godfather. A person closer to being real family than the Weasley's and – god forbid the Dursley's – ever were.

Sirius was determined to make Harry's stay as fun as he could. No way he let a summer going to waste now he finally had some alone time with Harry.

He admitted he was never a star Quidditch player, so he did Harry a favor by letting him teach him some tricks. Hence, a lot of sunny days were spend flying around the hills around the house. Sirius bought himself a Nimbus 1500, but was still no match for the Firebolt that Harry handled like a pro.

"I almost start to regret ever buying you that thing." He said one afternoon after Harry kicked his ass in a match of one-to-one, using an old football as quaffle.

"Don't be a bad loser." Harry smirked.

"I'm not! I'm just a tad bit envious…" Sirius said, eyeing the broomstick that harry held in his hand. "But I think you would even outrun me on a Cleansweep. You've got your father's talent for flying, that's for sure!"

Although Harry liked being complimented on his flying and was always proud of being compared to his father, it now happened so frequently that it even became slightly annoying. Not to mention the many times Sirius called him 'James.' So he grimaced at Sirius' comment.

"Yeah well, I got my talent trough rigorous Quidditch practice. My last team captain was quite the drill sergeant." He said with a flat tone.

"Well, it paid off!" Sirius concluded, suddenly aware of the shift in Harry's tone, and gave him a friendly pat on the back, leading him back to the house.

Other than at the Dursley's place, Harry was accustom to either Molly Weasley's excellent cooking or the exquisite meals at Hogwarts. Living with Sirius meant getting creative in the kitchen, as the man had a frat-boy cooking skill. Hence, the idea of butterbeer stew was born, which quickly became a favorite in the Black-Potter household.

After one such a creative outburst where they combined pasta with marshmallows, the duo sat in the living room, chatting about their latest attempt to make Sirius catch a hexed bumblebee- instead of a Snitch – out of mid-air. As a result, Sirius' right hand was now half a size bigger than normal.

"We could just put a flying spell on a tennis ball but nooo it had to be the bee you happen to see flying around!" Sirius sarcastically commented while rubbing his sore hand.

"Quidditch isn't fun if it isn't a little bit dangerous." Harry defended. "Be glad it's just a bee sting, and not that you get thrown of your broom a thousand feet up in the air."

"I remember that…" Sirius said. "I swear, if Dumbledore didn't catch you before you hit the ground I think I would have risked to expose myself to kick some dementors ass." He paused a bit to let the memory unfold in his mind. It was in the year he met Harry, and attended the game against Hufflepuff in that horrible storm in his animagus form.

"I honestly thought for a while you were shocked by seeing me… if I remember correctly, you thought I was some evil omen."

"To be frank, I was." Harry replied. "Professor Trewalny had planted this idea in my head that you were the Grimm. If that wasn't the case, I would have thought you were just some stray dog."

"Trewalny… weird woman. I never knew her well but what I've heard from her, she's not that right in the head, if you know what I mean." Sirius twisted his finger near his temple.

Harry grimaced. _She was right about two things,_ he thought to himself, remembering both of her true prophesies. The one where she predicted Wormtails return, and the one he had heard at the end of the last school year, that stated that he had to kill Voldemort.

It was as Sirius read his mind, because he said: "Though I wish I could use that as an excuse to make our most recent discovery about her obsolete."

An awkward silence fell. Up till now, they have never really discussed the prophecy that Voldemort was after, and almost resulted in both of their deaths last June.

"I make no secret about it: I don't like the idea of you having to kill that bastard one bit." Sirius said. He'd rather not talk about it, and keep up the joyful atmosphere that they enjoyed this summer, but he felt it was inevitable.

"You and me both. You think I am content with that fate? Honestly, I'm scared to death!" Harry said, feeling content with how easily he shared his feelings to his godfather.

"I would be surprised if you wouldn't be." Sirius said. "It's no crime to be scared of Voldemort, even for you, who faced him quite some times already."

"People think I'm some sort of hero." Harry said. "Like last year, when we started the DA. They all bragged about how I killed a basilisk, fought of a hundred or so dementors, did all those things at the Tri-wizard Tournament, and then what happened at the cemetery…" He swallowed. He knew how stricken Sirius had been when he heard that story when Harry just emerged from the maze.

"I almost feel bad for still being afraid. After all I've been trough. You might think it made me… stronger. But it doesn't feel like it did."

Sirius looked at him with pity, and laid his hand on Harry's shoulder.

"After everything that I have been trough, you might think I've became at least a bit wiser, or less stubborn, if you will." Sirius grimaced, knowing what has actions of last June could have lead to thanks to his stubbornness of joining the Order in the rescue mission. "Being afraid doesn't mean you didn't become stronger. On the contrary, in the past years I've only seen you getting stronger, maybe if you don't see it yourself. And I'm not only talking about your magical abilities."

Harry smiled faintly. "Maybe you're right." He said. "When Voldemort possessed me, there at the ministry, I could feel he was even struggling with that."

"That is because the magic you posses is stronger than he will ever be." Sirius said. "I know, it sounds silly. Cliché even, but don't ever underestimate what the power of love can do. I can know. It's a huge part of what kept me alive and sane in Azkaban. I've lost everything, and yet I didn't give up. You know why? Because you were still alive. Like I said before, it was a silent hope, and even a bittersweet one, that's why the dementors couldn't suck it out of me."

"I envy you, you know…" Harry suddenly admitted. "I still have so much to fight for, and I feel like I'm ready to break down sometimes, especially when I think of what I have done, and yet have to do. And you, you went on with nothing at all."

Sirius let out a barking laugh. "Don't envy me, boy. Not for this. But it is only in our true desperate times that we know what we still have, and what it is worth. People have given their lives for less, you know."

"Well I hope I don't have to give mine…" Harry said. "I'm not ready for that. Not ever."

"We'll see when the time comes, shall we?" Sirius said. "There is no use in wasting good times with dark thoughts. I've had enough of those already."

"Yeah…. You're right." Harry said.

"Not that I want to give the impression that I don't take you seriously!" Sirius quickly said. "I want you to know you can tell me all your worry's. Maybe you're not used to that, as you never could share your feelings with your aunt and uncle, I think you even had a few secrets for that matter for Dumbledore, but you can tell me anything, alright?"

Harry nodded, feeling humbled that Sirius was so concerned for him. Something a father would do…


	3. Chapter 3

**Sirius Survives**

 **Chapter 3**

Sirius found Harry snoring with his mouth wide open and his arms and legs spread across the double bed. He grabbed a pillow and smashed it at his godson's face.

"Get up! Dumbledore's here and he want to see you."

"Huh? Dummeldoh?" Harry mumbled sleepy, and yawned. "Whadoes hewan?"

Sirius just shrugged, and left the room while Harry was dragging himself out of bed and tried to find his socks.

Ten minutes later Harry showed up downstairs, and looked a the little clock that was standing on the mantelpiece, trying to figure out what Dumbledore wanted from him this early in the morning. To his shock, it was after eleven already.

"Good morning!" Dumbledore said merrily. "Or afternoon, almost. Sirius, you don't let him sleep away his summer holiday, don't you?"

"Only half of the time." Sirius said, and winked at Harry, who was suddenly painfully aware of his now extra messy bedhead hair.

"Well, I hope you'll be more awake in a minute." Dumbledore said. Why does he always seem to read minds, Harry wondered. "I would like you to accompany me today on a little quest of mine."

"A quest, sir?" Harry asked.

"Yes. Nothing dangerous, I can assure you." Dumbledore quickly said, once he saw Sirius' judgemental gaze. "Just something more related to the job of being headmaster that I could need your help with. Should be fun, even."

Harry had no idea what Dumbledore could ask from Harry with such a task, but knowing the headmaster longer than today, Harry said: "Sure. I'll eh... I'll get myself ready then." And disappeared back upstairs to wash up.

"You're not planning on anything, are you? For once, I'd like it if Harry had a quiet year at school." Sirius said.

"Like I said Sirius, it's nothing dangerous."

"For now…" Sirius sighed. "I just can't fathom why you need his help with your day to day headmaster duties all of the sudden."

"I'm sure Harry can explain it in better detail than I can right now once we get back. I'll have him home before supper." Dumbledore smiled. Sirius still wasn't satisfied, but didn't say anything.

Harry came down again some minutes later, hastily combing his hair, or at least make an attempt.

"Well, we're off!" Dumbledore said and made his way to the door. Once outside he asked Harry: "Have you ever Apperated before?

"I'm sure it's not legal for me to do so, sir. I thought you needed a license for that?"

"You do! Most likely you will even get it this year. But not for hitchhiking along with someone. If you would grab my arm please now, we'll be on our way."

Harry did so, and with a bang, Sirius saw the duo disappear from the gravelled yard. Still very displeased with the way Dumbledore thought he could drag Harry along on whatever missions he came up with, but knowing there was not much he could do about it.

Later the same day, there was a loud bang sounding from outside the house, followed by the door being opened and a quite confused looking Harry entering.

"Now what was that old fart up to?"

Sirius asked.

"That's not a nice way to talk about your elders." Harry smirked.

"What does not hear does not harm." Sirius said apathetic. "Now, where have you been?"

"Some guy named Slughorn." Harry replied, and threw himself on the couch, making the wood screech.

"I like you to let that couch live a day longer, thank you." Sirius said. "Slughorn, you said? What does Dumbledore want with my old Potions master?"

"Potions?" Harry asked. "I was under the impression he was going to teach Defence against the Dark Arts? That is always the only vacant position, is it?"

"Maybe he switched majors." Sirius pondered, while stroking his chin. "Or… nah... never mind. What did he need you for anyway?"

"Slughorn didn't want to come back at first. But then he showed me his collection of photo's – or rather said – famous people…"

"...And now he wants to add you to that collection" Sirius finished his sentence. "Using you as a lure to recruit old employees. Typical!" Sirius barked.

"Well, you got that right." Harry said. "He even had my mother in his collection."

Sirius smiled. "Yeah, I almost forgot she used to be a Slugger."

Harry snickered. "Slugger! Really, who in his right mind would want to be member of a club called like that?"

"Oh, you mind yourself! Before long you'll be member of the Sluggers club. Old Slug will take care of that, I'll assure you. "

"No thank you. I have a bad reputation at some circles as it is, let alone that I walk around under the moniker "Slugger" " Harry paused for a while. "You had another option other than that he maybe switched majors. Which was…?

"Not a pleasant one, but still highly likeable." Sirius grimaced. "If Slughorn is indeed teaching Potions, that means that the vacant position of Defence Against the Dark Arts has been filled and that of Potions has become vacant instead. Which can only mean one thing…"

Harry cursed. "Sure! Another teacher to screw up my once favourite subject for another year." He sighed deeply. "Can't Remus teach again? He was the only actual teacher I had so far who actually gave good classes. And what is going on in Dumbledore's head to give Snape that position? He denied him that for years, and now suddenly he has the job? And, now, out of all times? "

"You're asking the same questions that I have." Sirius said. " And you know darn well that Remus can't teach anymore. He's far too busy with the Order, and there is his little furry problem that was the reason why he quit teaching in the first place."

"Like anyone even still cares about that…" mumbled Harry

"More than you would like!" Sirius said sternly. "There are even still people convinced I'm a bad guy, even now my name is cleared. There are still a lot of people out there who have a mind-set of 'once convicted, always a criminal'. And that won't change before Voldemort is dealt with once and for all."

"Yeah, that exactly there is the problem!" Harry nearly shouted. "People need to start realizing that scolding others won't solve a thing, and it will only work to Voldemorts benefit. A divided target is an easy one.."

"And I agree! But Harry, you're talking about scolding. Isn't that exactly what you are doing towards Snape right now? He's been working for the Order and against Voldemort ever since your parents were killed."

"Why are you defending Snape all of the sudden? You hate his guts!"

"I never said I liked him." Sirius quickly defended. "I'm only saying that we should trust Dumbledore in this. He might have his reasons to let him teach Defence Against the Dark Arts, and I never had a reason to doubt Dumbledore for a second."

"Like this morning…" Harry pointed out rather cynically.

"I don't care what Dumbledore does or doesn't with his own plans, but dragging you into it is what makes me sick." Sirius pointed out., glad he had that of his chest. "Dumbledore never gave me a reason to think he would do something to deliberately harm you, and he remains much wiser than you or me when it comes to these things, and I respect him for that. But he is up to something this year. I don't know what, but I feel it."

"What could he possibly be up to?" Harry asked. "It's not like this year will be rockier than the previous ones. I can hardly imagine that's possible."

"Oh you wait…" Sirius warned him. "By the way, did you see his hand? Did he happen to tell you how that came to be?"

Of course Harry noticed that Dumbledore's hand was out of the ordinary today. It looked shrivelled and dead, but Dumbledore has told him that was a story for another day. Harry sort of went with it.

"I did see that." He replied. "He said he'd explain later."

"Exactly my point." Sirius said with a prying finger. "He lets Snape teach Defence, he for some reason wants Slughorn back in his staff, and he won't tell how he got cursed. I point out again, Dumbledore always knows what he is doing, but he lacks to ever tell why. And that is what's bugging me."

"You like to know everything, don't you?" Harry said.

"I do. Can you blame me?" Sirius said. "He can leave me in the dark all he likes about his plans, like he left me in the dark at Grimmauld Place last year, but I'll be damned if he leaves me in the dark about matters that directly effect you."

"But so far he hasn't done anything that directly effected me." Harry said quizzically.

"Not yet... But now he even involves you in recruiting his personnel. Like I said, I have a huge suspicion that is only the start of it. For that matter, when you return to Hogwarts, you are going to let me know _everything_ that is going on there. Okay?"

"Okay. But really, Sirius, I can take care of myself. I won't let him do anything that I don't agree upon."

"I have zero doubt that you can." Sirius said. "But too many things are going on at the moment. I just want you a bit less involved than you usually are."

"That, I'm afraid, is inevitable." Said Harry with a sour face. "I am the "Chosen one" after all…" he made a face

"Don't even say it." Sirius said slowly. "Just keep your nose clean this year, alright?

Harry only nodded. He wasn't used to someone getting so protective over him, and kind of struggled with the fact that Sirius of all persons was doing it, mister reckless himself.

For the first time since he lived with Sirius Harry had difficulties sleeping that night. He didn't know how to come to terms with how Sirius was behaving towards him. They hardly had the chance to really communicate last year, because half the Order was always hovering about. This summer was the first time that Sirius could actually fully fulfil his role as godfather. A parental figure, which meant Harry had to deal with both the virtues as the vices from that. That Sirius worried so much about him was only a sign that he cared for him, but Harry had always managed himself so far. He had no idea what Dumbledore might be up to, and as always, he would see about that when it comes along. But then again, Sirius knew Dumbledore longer than he did. Maybe he was too naïve when it came to what Dumbledore wanted from him?

Letting these questions repeat over and over in his head, Harry finally slipped into an uneasy sleep. With his last thought being about that summer was nearly over, and he had to go back to Hogwarts. It was a very rare feeling, but this year he felt a resentment against going.


End file.
